Friday, July 29, 2016
Covered Dishes
I enjoy covered dishware! Casseroles, cake stands, you name it and I like it covered! Tupperware had their vintage almond tumblers. These 'glasses' had their lids and I enjoyed them. Since, I have enjoyed covered everything in the kitchen and at the dinner table. Eating Cantonese food in childhood took us to a wonderful restaurant for Cantonese fried rice, wanton and cabbage eggrolls. Their covered dish for the Chinese rice was yet another eye opener ... Since, I serve everything with covered dishes and the ceramic Temp-tations by Dana on QVC provides such treats. I ordered two sets of four from her company, one in cranberry -- small casseroles for portion control and the same with the four pumpkin-shaped casseroles and the larger pumpkin casserole as well for fall servings including Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday, the blessed harvest celebration!
Soup's On: Yes, it was Fascination ...
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-
I have always enjoyed preparing soup! I like a vegan soup, no chicken stock/broth, no ham bone for me. My husband, on the other hand, enjoys all the trimming and unlike me is not a vegan. I enjoy preparing all kinds of soups for others who do not abstain from consuming meat/game. I especially enjoy adding marjoram, thyme, and coriander seeds to the vegetable, tomato, or any meat soup that I might prepare for others on a given day. Tomato soup and 'keylime' or even a regular green lime is always good with most soups, especially with tomato soup to which I also add the freshly ground black pepper and lime at the time that I am serving the individual portions! Blistering success! Part of my fascination in the art of preparing soup for myself and for others has its roots in an article that Victoria magazine published long ago. I am not certain if it was written by Emelie Tolley or Catherine Calvert.
I have a copy of the article in one of over one hundred scrapbooks that I have created. It was the author's experience in France at a small family restaurant akin to our typical American mom and pop shops of the past, the family restaurant did not offer luxuries, but the soup was a delicacy. Hence, the love for soup was born in me. Yes, I have been fascinating by the art and science of soup preparation and selecting fresh, seasonal ingredients ... We all have our soup secrets! Hush!
There is an art to making soup. It may be a process others compare to frying an egg, but there is more to it. There is art and romance and science in all food preps, but the art of preparing soup goes beyond the perfect egg, steak, or souffle. It is a beautiful experience, especially during a crisp autumn day or a chilling, gray ... winter day. Until I find that article from Victoria, I posted references from Emelie Tolley. The proper herbs must blend well, that is the secret, and not over boiling potatoes, for their taste becomes sort of sweet and dull and mushy.
Perhaps Emelie Toll and Catherine Calvert inspired me to the point of continuing to experiment in the art and science of preparing the most savory soups and acquiring the proper soup bowl. Fancy soups should be served in beautiful soup bowls. Vintage, cozy plates would do for most soups and that is the way I go now. I used to serve meals in fancy china, but now I find that vintage is best. Asiago cheese is perfect for any soup, if you enjoy adding soup to your soup bowl once it has been served. Parm, Swiss, any cheese would do, try soup served with cheese and black pepper, if you enjoy good cheese! Enjoy the following references/link.
Illus via google . com
Soup's On!
Emelie Tolley: A Return to Loveliness
Emelie recalls special spring tonics that grandmothers used to use to revitalize one in the springtime after a long winter season of indulgences. “For overall cleansing and toning, there is nothing better than greens packed with nutrients. Years ago herbs such as parsley, nettle, dandelion, borage, watercress and sorrel might have been added to spinach, asparagus, or celery in a lovely green soup with a chicken broth base. The combination can be turned into a juice so powerful it is best diluted with cooling cucumber juice”.
1998
Victoria’s Herb Lover
"Emelie Tolley shared her love of herbs as a Contributing Editor of Victoria for several years. Having discovered herbs over 30 years ago, Emelie has not only written countless articles on herbs, but has also created a series of lifestyle books on herbs – their culinary uses, their medicinal uses, their beauty and their benefit to our health and beauty."
You are drawn into Emelie’s world and adoration of herbs in her many Victoria Magazine articles.
Sunday, July 24, 2016
Gardening Home for the Fairies. (Video)
Thank you for the 1,229 page views. This is the third entry that I posting this weekend. This was on Facebook, a link at @Bohemian Romanticism. It is beautiful for an annual garden project that may vary, one that will have your own personal touch from year to year. I must agree, I like the vase or pot to be in different shades and not so plain in basic white. A mozaic might be pretty, too, as part of the art decoration of the pot. Enjoy it!
https://www.facebook.com/FotosdeDecoracao/videos/1047550968670199/
The above link, a short visual presentation found on FB page:
The above link, a short visual presentation found on FB page:
Fotos de Decoração,
Below, a similar project from google . com
I used to create similar projects, but did not post photos belonging to me. I like the garden fairy video project.
Friday, July 22, 2016
Retro Common Sense Kay
It seems that with age -- wisdom, but I seem to have a setback. I used to dress-up all the time when I was home cooking and cleaning. Now that I am older, I do not doll-up akin to the effect of Donna Reed. I often feel guilty about it, but there is so much to do and I have the need to feel very comfortable while cleaning, cooking, washing clothes, and so forth. However, I know that I want to look my best. Our husbands are 'observing' and despite a long and confident status in the marriage ... a husband needs to fall in love with a wife each day. I guess that we must work on that old first impression to stand ground day after day after year in ones own marriage. A husband does not wish to see a common, sloppy wife walking around the house, cooking, serving meals, and so forth. I will not wear those lovely pearls as I used to do when I was washing clothes and vacuuming, but I will be dressed-up casually while adding make-up, lip gloss, neat hair ... as if participating in a Barbie pageant.
Kay's Vintage Kitchen: Concerns and Blogging, Day 1.
Welcome to Kay's Vintage Kitchen! I have decided to become an occasional weekend blogger. This blog is based on my FB page by the same title. I arrived home slightly late today. It was my mother's birthday and we spoiled her as much as possible. I walked into the kitchen and heard CNN radio. I heard about the sad headline news about Munich, Germany. All of a sudden, I felt very safe being home and also scared! We must all be very alert when we go out. I decided to spend the weekend reading and writing and taking a break from other tasks. I think that we must think of measures of awareness in case of any emergency in our regions. Hence, the idea for an occasional blog occurred to me. The idea for a relaxed and fun blog surfaced. This is the first blog and perhaps the hardest! I will share recipes and information on nutrition from time to time. I do not wish to preach healthy eating. We must enjoy what we eat. I like to serve myself small portions and use different dinnerware according to season, holiday, and mood! I actually find it easy to clean the Wolfgang Puck set of cookware that I own, a huge set. I like stainless steel best, but I am still searching for a good copper pot. I used to enjoy eating from fancy dinnerware. One day, not long ago, I noticed that eating from very humble, less expensive dinnerware provided great riches for me feeling totally satisfied with stoneware and simple patterns/designs. Below: I have a similar set, Hazel Atlas photographs below from Google.
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